Fairfax County Public Schools students will have an unexpected day off this spring, as polling sites take over many school buildings for the upcoming special election on mid-decade redistricting.
FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid announced yesterday (Wednesday) that all schools will close on April 21 in anticipation of high turnout for the referendum, which asks voters to temporarily amend Virginia’s Constitution so the General Assembly can adopt a new Congressional district map.
Drawn by Democrats, the proposed map would break up Fairfax County into five new districts, potentially giving the party up to 10 seats in Congress to counter similar gerrymandering efforts undertaken by Republican-led states.
According to Reid, closing schools is necessary to maintain safety and security, avoid disruptions to classes and ensure voters have clear access at the 168 public school buildings that serve as polling places.
“Providing polling locations during an election is one of the many ways FCPS supports our entire Fairfax County community, but it means that we must provide open public access to portions of our school buildings throughout the day,” Reid wrote in a message to families. “Given the anticipated volume of voters, this would significantly impact normal school operations and limit our ability to provide a secure learning environment for students and staff.”
The superintendent says students will still receive more hours of instruction this year than what the Virginia Department of Education requires, despite an extended closure earlier this year due to winter weather.
In recent years, FCPS has also recognized more holidays, including Veterans Day and religious occasions like Diwali and Yom Kippur, while adding two-hour early release days — first on Mondays in 2024, then on Wednesdays for the 2025-2026 school year — to give teachers and staff more training and planning time.
As a result, the Fairfax County School Board has heard complaints from some families that the number of five-day weeks this school year has been insufficient, Hunter Mill District Representative Melanie Meren reported in a recent newsletter.
As chair of the school board’s governance committee, Meren said she will lead an effort to revise the school system’s calendar policy, with the goal of prioritizing keeping five-day instructional weeks intact as much as possible when the superintendent designs the calendar.
“What I am seeking is how to retain the time so it meets staff’s needs, but have it be configured so more five day weeks remain intact. I see options to consider,” Meren said, adding that she believes it’s possible to increase the number of five-day weeks “without drastic changes” to the planned calendar for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year.
Early voting on the redistricting referendum began last Friday (March 6) and will continue at the Fairfax County, Mount Vernon and North County government centers through April 18.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger also signed bills in early February to send proposed constitutional amendments protecting reproductive rights, formally repealing a prohibition on same-sex marriage and restoring voting rights to felons upon their release. Those referenda will appear on the ballot for the regular Nov. 3 general election.
